The present invention relates to a windshield defroster for a vehicle, and more particularly to improvements in a screen for preventing an object from dropping into a defroster duct through a defroster outlet formed in a top surface of a dashboard of the vehicle.
U.S. application Ser. No. 724,545, filed Apr. 18, 1985, which is herein incorporated by reference, is contemporaneous with this application and discloses a windshield defroster having a plate or rudder secured to a defroster duct to control the flow of heated air. In another embodiment the plate or rudder is also secured to a screen which is attached to the defroster duct.
FIGS. 13 and 14 show a prior art approach disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-open No. Showa 51-82236. As illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14, a windshield defroster includes a duct 30 and a screen 50 having a plurality of openings 502 and a plurality of bars 501. The screen 50 is disposed on one end of the duct 30, and the screen 50 is integrally and rigidly formed with duct 30.
However, in fact, it is very difficult to form the defroster duct 30 which has the integral and rigid screen 308. Therefore, generally, the screen 308 is separated from the defroster duct 30. Accordingly, the screen 50 which prevents an object from dropping into the duct 30, must be fixed to the duct 30 prior to the windshield defroster being installed into the dashboard of the vehicle. Further, screen 50 covers the entire outlet area of the duct 30, so that screen 50 must be large and heavy. Therefore, even if it is possible to form the defroster duct 30 having the integral, rigid and entirely covered screen 308, this prior art approach increases the material and labor requirements during installation of the duct 30 under the dashboard 20.
FIGS. 15 through FIG. 20 show other prior art approaches. Windshield defrosters shown in FIGS. 15, 16 and 18 do not utilize a screen for preventing an object from dropping into the defroster duct 30.
The windshield defroster shown in FIG. 17 includes a plurality of openings 502 and a plurality of bars 501 provided in the top surface 201 of dashboard 20. While the windshield defroster shown in FIG. 17 can prevent an object from dropping into the defroster duct 30, it is very difficult to align the openings 502 and bars 501 within the top surface 201 of dashboard 20 with the defroster outlet 70 in the dashboard 20.
The windshield defroster shown in FIG. 19 has a separate screen 50 which is placed within the defroster outlet 70 of the dashboard 20. The screen 50 includes a plurality of bars 501 and a plurality of openings 502. Furthermore, the windshield defroster shown in FIG. 20 has a separate net-type screen 50. Both of these windshield defrosters include a screen 50 which is separated from the dashboard 20 and duct 30, so that each windshield defroster consists of many components and it is therefore necessary for the installer to assemble many components to the dashboard 20, before the duct 30 is installed under the dashboard 20.